


Violet Fired Glass

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: An Ode to the Left Hand of Ifrit [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Barret Month 2020, Canonical Character Death, Golden Saucer Date, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Minor Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough, Minor Zack Fair/Cloud Strife, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26681911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: Barret loves and lives, this time for the present.
Relationships: Barret Wallace & Marlene Wallace, Barret Wallace/Myrna Wallace, Cloud Strife/Barret Wallace, Denzel & Cloud Strife
Series: An Ode to the Left Hand of Ifrit [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936090
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	Violet Fired Glass

**Author's Note:**

> Last week and now I'm a sad noodle but I'll be back to my FFVII series soon enough! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

The sun was slowly rising, Cloud was still laying in bed during his one day off and he was pillowed on the love of his life. 

He never thought he'd get to say that. 

The familiar chest rose and fell, Barret's face slack and soft against the pillow. Unguarded from the world, even if it was until Marlene or Denzel burst through the door asking for breakfast. 

Cloud traced over the scars across Barret's face with his fingertips, huffing out a laugh as Barret scrunched his nose before he relaxed back into sleep. 

He trailed his fingers down Barret's biceps and marveled that he was trusted enough to see the terrible scarring where the prosthetic met his beloved's skin. 

Cloud kept his touch light there and moved on, mentally placing a marker to explore the scarring with Barret's permission. He scratched his nails faintly over Barret's abs, just to see the muscles jump. 

"Done explorin' gorgeous?" The rumble of morning Barret, still sleepy, made Cloud hum. 

"Depends on you, babe," 

Barret gave him a wry smile and muttered, "How is it you remind me of my wife when the two of you never even met?" 

Myrna.

The woman smiling the photo next to their bed, the edges of it dark with ash. 

"Sheer dumb luck;" Cloud teased, making his way back up the bed to stroke his thumbs along the high edges of Barret's cheekbones. "Can't explain how else you remind me of my first love." 

Zack, his photo also stained with ash, parked on the opposite side. 

Two fires, two disasters and yet here they were were—survivors who'd found love and strength in each other. 

They'd come so far from that date in The Golden Saucer, really.

* * *

_The knock on the door was a surprise, followed by, "Yo Cloud. You still up?"_

_Barret? What on Gaia could he be wanting at this hour?_

_He hopped out of bed and asked, "What's wrong?"_

_Barret scrubbed at the back of his neck with his left hand, "Uh, I was jus' think' of goin' for a walk..."_

_Cloud found himself blurting out, "What, just the two of us?"_

_The frown that settled over Barret's face made Cloud feel a bit guilty; they'd been through a lot up to this point. "What's wrong with that?! Don't gimme no lip!! Just c'mon."_

_Cloud followed, allowing the Buster to settle in between his shoulder blades._

_They walked until—"Tonight's Enchantment Night! All the attractions are free. How 'bout it you two? There's going to be an entertaining show in Event Square!"_

_Barret looked over at him with an unreadable expression, "Cloud, wanna take a peek?"_

_They hopped down the hole and popped up in the Event Square where they heard, "Congratulations!! You are our 100th couple today...oh, wait...no, you're not...sorry."_

_Barret scowled, his fingers clenched into a fist and Cloud snorted in agreement as he turned away before they made their way back to the Station Square._

_Barret looked around and said, "Let's go somewhere where we can talk, in private."_

_They walked, shoulders almost brushing to the Round Square, where the gondola ride was stationed._

_Barret grumbled as he saw the gondola, "Hey! You gotta be kiddin'. Just us two? ...ok, that's cool, I guess. Yo. Two."_

_This staff member was much nicer. "Here you are, two tickets. Enjoy the sights of the Gold Saucer."_

_They climbed on, Cloud hitching up the Buster Sword so that he could sit without it being encumbered when he stood. He chewed at his lip as it reminded him of the Don Corneo thing but he ignored it._

_Barret sat down across from him, "Hey spike-head! What'd you wanna see fireworks with me for?"_

_He crossed his arms but his lips curled up as he teased, "What? Not having fun?"_

_"You should have asked one of them!" Barret told him, gesturing with a wide sweep of his gunarm._

_Cloud snorted and parried with, "Which would you have asked?"_

_Barret blinked and muttered, "Oh man, there just ain't no choice!" He used to fingers as he listed off the ladies in their party, "Tifa, Aerith. Ah, Yuffie?"_

_He shook his head because any of them would've ended in disaster, "Hoo boy,"_

_"What the hell's that supposed to mean? Hey you don't mean...Marlene? **No way!** Forget it. There ain't no way I'm lettin' a wacko like you anywhere near my little Marlene. She's my baby. My prized possession." Barret spouted off but Cloud knew he was blustering. "Marlene...wish I could've brought Marlene here. She'd have loved the fireworks. Why the hell I gotta be here with a damn jackass like you?! The more I think about it, the madder I get. Damn fireworks! Shut up!!"_

_Barret charged his gunarm and fired out of the window, slumping back against the seat when he was finished._

_"You done?" Cloud rolled his eyes._

_"Look, I ain't ever asked someone out besides... It's been a long time."_

_"And I'm male." He offered bluntly._

_"... Yeah, alright, that too. Sorry about that Marlene comment." Barret muttered._

_"No offense taken," Cloud hummed, watching the fireworks as they floated above them. "Maybe, when the world isn't ending, you can take Marlene here?"_

_"That would be nice. You're comin' with."_

_"Oh? That an invitation?" He quipped and Barret cleared his throat. " **Oh**."_

_"Y'know, for being a SOLDIER, you sure are dense sometimes."_

_"Ex-SOLDIER," he absently corrected before, "but I guess you'll just have to kiss the stupid out of me."_

_Barret spluttered magnificently before he apparently screwed up his courage and did just that, Cloud's hand tangled in the fishnet top._

_All too soon, the bell for the gondola returning to the terminal sounded and they pulled apart reluctantly._

_"Oh man. I'm beat. Let's head back." Barret announced before they spotted Cait Sith._

* * *

"Still up for kissing the stupid out of me?" He mentioned and Barret rolled them over to pin Cloud to the bed. 

"Betcher SOLDIER ass I am," 

"Ex-SOLDIER," he gasped out before Barret peppered his face with kisses. He rolled them back over, his hair sliding over his shoulder.

Cloud didn't expect Barret to card through the slightly longer strand with a soft look. 

"What? You want me to grow out this Chocobo mess?" He asked as he plopped down on Barret's chest and pillowed his head there. 

"Only if you want to," Barret hummed fondly. 

"I'm gonna, just watch me," he announced to Barret's, admittedly, firm pecs, muffled from where he was pressed to them.

"Means you're gonna have to steal Tifa's brush." 

"... Do I look _that_ stupid? No, no, better to borrow one from Marlene."

* * *

Myrna chuckled as she watched over her husband. "I'm glad he found love again," 

"Yeah, it looks much better on him than revenge or sadness." Zack agreed genially, violet eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned down on them. " _Hey_ , Spikey was supposed to grow it out for me!" 

"Maybe his way of honoring your request with a new love?" She ribbed. 

"Oh har-de-har-har," Violet eyes rolled before he broke into a full sunshine smile, "Hi honey~" 

"Cloud and Barret watching again?" Aerith teased, throwing an arm around Myrna's waist even as Zack looped one over her shoulders. 

"Just a bit," she shrugged, her gaze lingering a little longer on Barret. "He deserves every happiness." 

"Yeah, he does."

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
